The remarks were made at the High-Level Technical Meeting on AfSEM and the African Continental Power System Master Plan on Monday at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.
Speaking at the event, Kamugisha Kazaura, director of infrastructure and energy at the AU Commission, said the institutional and operational foundation has been laid for a unified African electricity market, which delivers clean, reliable and affordable power to every corner of the continent.
“Activities are progressing well to define a common path forward to address critical technical and regulatory gaps and explore continental strategies for renewable energy deployment, trading, and manufacturing,” Kazaura said.
Noting that more than 600 million Africans are still without access to electricity, Kazaura called for urgent and sustainable action to meet Africa’s rapidly growing energy demand through the full implementation of the AfSEM.
Simbini Tichakunda, principal program officer at the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for African Development, said Africa is standing on the brink of an energy revolution that promises to transform the continent’s economic future.
“The dream of AfSEM is coming to life. The 400 KV seamless power integration between Kenya and Tanzania, linking the grids of Kenya and Tanzania and synchronizing them with those of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a major step forward,” Tichakunda noted.
He said the Eastern African Power Pool will be connected to the Southern African Power Pool by 2027.
The two-day meeting is expected to discuss how to de-risk investment in power infrastructure and strengthen institutional readiness at the national and regional levels.
This digital transformation marks a significant step in the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to enhancing good governance and improving public service delivery through technology.
The new IremboGov portal allows FBOs to submit required documentation and track the status of their applications conveniently from any location.
The online services enable FBOs to apply for collaboration letters and establish branches, aiming to enhance efficiency and transparency in the application and approval processes.
According to a statement released on June 30, all submitted applications will be reviewed by the City of Kigali or relevant District authorities to ensure alignment with national development goals.
This platform also strengthens RGB’s capacity to provide timely support, feedback, and maintain an up-to-date database.
Both RGB and Irembo will offer guidance and technical assistance to ensure a smooth and user-friendly experience for all stakeholders.
“The Order removes sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on (ousted former Syrian president) Bashar al-Assad… The Order permits the relaxation of export controls on certain goods and waives restrictions on certain foreign assistance to Syria,” said the White House.
Following the order, five executive orders that created the existing Syria sanctions program were immediately terminated, while the State Department issued a 180-day waiver of sanctions under the Caesar Act.
The U.S. Treasury Department already took the first step in lifting sanctions on Syria by issuing a general license, known as GL25, to authorize transactions involving the interim Syrian government, its central bank and state-owned enterprises.
Sanctions on Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates and Iranian proxies will remain in place, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Under the order, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is directed to “explore avenues for sanctions relief at the United Nations.”
Rubio is also directed to review the designations of Syria as a “State On the eighth of December 2024, of Terrorism,” Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) as a foreign terrorist organization, and its leader, Syrian interim chief Ahmed al-Sharaa, as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist.”
The Trump administration will “continue to monitor progress on key priorities” including steps toward normalizing ties with Israel and helping the United States prevent a resurgence of ISIS, according to the White House.
Amid the upheaval in the Middle East, Trump told al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May that the United States would lift sanctions and explore normalizing relations as a major policy shift.
The 54-year Assad’s rule over Syria abruptly ended on Dec. 8, 2024, and days afterward, leaders of HTS, the primary force behind the offensive during Syria’s prolonged 13-year war, formed an interim government. Since then, the new government has scrambled to restore order, rebuild institutions, and reach out to regional and global partners.
The disclosure was made in a statement released on Monday, June 30.
“Following an investigation by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau, which was submitted to the National Public Prosecution Authority [NPPA] on 24 June 2025, the NPPA has filed a case with the Primary Court of Kicukiro, requesting pre-trial detention for Ingabire Umuhoza Victoire,” the statement read.
Ingabire, founder of the unregistered political party DALFA-Umurinzi, was arrested on June 19, 2025, following a decision by the High Court of Kigali.
The court made the decision after establishing that there were strong reasons to suspect Ingabire’s involvement in a conspiracy with nine individuals, including journalist Theoneste Nsengimana, accused of participating in training sessions allegedly aimed at overthrowing the government.
Ingabire admitted that eight of the nine individuals, excluding journalist Nsengimana, were former members of DALFA-Umurinzi, but insisted that the party was not behind the organization of the training sessions, and that she personally had no knowledge of them.
According to the Prosecution Authority, the charges against Ingabire involve offenses that threaten public security.
“In a countermeasure to the EU’s latest restrictions on eight Russian publications and information channels approved by the EU Council as part of the so-called 16th sanctions package in February this year, the Russian side has decided to impose counter-restrictions within its territory to web resources of 15 EU member state media outlets involved in spreading disinformation,” the ministry said in a statement.
“If these restrictions imposed on Russian media outlets and information channels are lifted, the Russian side will also revise its decision in respect of the European media outlets,” the ministry added.
As the continent’s population is expected to exceed 3 billion in the next four decades, leaders stressed the importance of clean, reliable and scalable energy, particularly nuclear power.
“The future of the African energy landscape will continue to be driven by increasing energy demand and population growth,” said Rwandan Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente during the opening ceremony.
With over 600 million Africans lacking access to electricity, Ngirente said nuclear energy is important as a sustainable, low-carbon solution capable of ensuring energy security and supporting climate resilience across the continent.
Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure Jimmy Gasore noted that nuclear energy is central to Rwanda’s long-term energy strategy, and that Rwanda is actively exploring small modular reactors to meet rising energy demand and reduce carbon emissions.
“The first reactor is expected by 2026, with operational readiness targeted by 2028,” Gasore said.
Running through Tuesday, the summit seeks to elevate nuclear energy as a key pillar of Africa’s sustainable development.
NEISA 2025 is organized in collaboration with key international institutions, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Nuclear Energy Agency, World Nuclear Association, and leading regional financial institutions.
He was speaking at the opening of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Summit for Africa (NESIA 2025) in Kigali on June 30, 2025.
The two-day summit, running until July 1, 2025, brought together experts from 30 countries to discuss how nuclear energy, particularly through small modular reactors and micro reactors, can transform Africa’s energy landscape.
Dr. Ngirente highlighted the critical role of nuclear energy in addressing Africa’s energy deficit, where over 600 million people lack access to electricity and rely on unsustainable biomass sources.
He emphasized that Rwanda’s Vision 2050, which aims to transform the country into an upper middle-income nation by 2035 and a high-income nation by 2050, requires a significant boost in energy capacity.
“Our country will need up to 5 GW in electricity generation capacity,” Ngirente revealed. “All available internal energy sources can provide up to 1 GW. Therefore, Rwanda has decided to use nuclear energy for power generation to avoid the imbalance in energy demand and supply.”
The Prime Minister underscored the urgency of adopting nuclear energy as a clean, reliable, and weather-independent power source to bridge the continent’s energy gap, which hinders growth and development.
He noted that Africa’s population is projected to exceed 3 billion in the next 40 years, making it potentially the largest energy market globally, driven by industrialization, urbanization, and the rise of artificial intelligence.
However, unevenly distributed renewable resources like solar, wind, and hydropower limit electricity access in many regions, exacerbating reliance on forest resources and threatening ecosystems amid climate change.
Dr. Ngirente pointed to the vulnerability of traditional energy sources, citing the 2024 water level drop in the Zambezi River, which forced the Kariba Dam to cut electricity production, exposing the risks climate change poses to Africa’s energy infrastructure.
“Nuclear energy is clean, reliable, and does not depend on the rain or sun. It provides consistent power, day and night,” he stated, advocating for its role in achieving global net-zero carbon emissions, as recognized by the Paris Agreement and COP29.
The Prime Minister also addressed misconceptions about nuclear energy, emphasizing its peaceful and innovative applications for power generation, agriculture, and healthcare.
Rwanda is particularly focused on deploying smaller and micro nuclear power plants, which are more affordable for smaller energy systems and can be integrated into the national energy mix.
“This will accelerate our economic transformation towards a knowledge-based economy,” Ngirente added.
Dr. Ngirente also called for regional collaboration to turn Africa’s energy challenges into opportunities, urging immediate action to diversify the continent’s energy mix.
“The time to act is now. Climate change is real, and our population is growing. Nuclear is part of that solution,” he concluded.
[Related article: Rwanda to launch nuclear electricity generation by 2030->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-to-launch-nuclear-electricity-generation-by-2030]
The climate pledges under the Paris Agreement will outline updated climate action plans and targets.
This process involves nationwide consultations with various stakeholders and aims to integrate climate priorities into national development plans, enhancing resilience and aligning with Rwanda’s long-term goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
In light of this, a high-level breakfast dialogue under the theme “Rwanda’s Debt and Climate Nexus: Unlocking a Just Financial Future through NDC Commitments” was hosted by ActionAid Rwanda on June 27.
It presented Rwanda’s NDC as a platform to integrate debt sustainability and climate finance solutions and shared insights from ActionAid’s global campaign on debt justice and climate obligations.
It brought together a diverse and powerful group from ministries, financial institutions, multilateral agencies, civil society, and academia, and explored how Rwanda can shape and champion reform at the upcoming Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and the AU Reparations Agenda.
It also identified policy options such as progressive taxation, feminist budgeting, and climate-linked financing tools to expand Rwanda’s fiscal space.
Rwanda is at a pivotal moment in aligning its climate ambition with sustainable public finance. With external debt reaching $9.69 billion (about 60.2% of GDP), the burden of debt servicing is increasingly constraining investments in social sectors and climate resilience.
Ibrahim Ndagijimana, a board member of ActionAid Rwanda, said that there is a need for reimagining how climate action, development, and justice are financed in a world where the rules of global finance continue to disadvantage various countries.
“Rwanda, like many countries in the Global South, is facing a triple crisis: climate risk, rising debt, and shrinking fiscal space. We are being asked to do more, to act faster on climate, deliver better public services, and transform our economies with fewer resources, and under the pressure of debt systems we did not design,” he said.
“Our Nationally Determined Contribution [NDC] reflects strong national ambition towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. But climate ambition without adequate, just, and predictable financing is not sustainable. Our ability to fulfil the NDC and the aspirations of our people depends on how well we address the climate-finance-debt triangle,” he added.
The dialogue discussed how Rwanda can leverage its climate commitments to unlock just and innovative financing solutions and act differently to leverage debt-for-nature swaps and advance climate justice.
A debt-for-nature swap is a financial transaction where a portion of a developing country’s external debt is forgiven in exchange for local investments in environmental conservation projects.
In light of global debates on climate justice and debt sustainability, Rwanda is exploring how its NDC can serve as a tool to unlock innovative financing including debt-fornature swaps, climate-aligned debt restructuring, and just transition partnerships.
“Through our global Fund, our Future campaign, ActionAid and our allies are calling for an end to harmful financing models such as fossil fuel subsidies and exploitative debt servicing, and instead, advocating for investment in public services, climate action, and systems that centre justice, equity, and community development,” Ndagijimana said.
Thadee Twagirimana, the Director General of Environment and Climate Change at Rwanda’s Ministry of Environment, emphasized the importance of pursuing climate action that is just, inclusive, and fiscally responsible.
“Our NDC is not just an emissions reduction plan; it is a people-centred development pathway that prioritises adaptation and resilience in agriculture, water, forests, and settlements, gender-responsive approaches that empower women and youth, and alignment with our national development goals under Vision 2050 and the NST2.
“We believe climate justice means ensuring that vulnerable populations are not asked to pay the price for a crisis they did not create. It also means that climate finance should not come at the cost of more debt,” he said.
Loretta Uwase, Programs, Policy and Business Development Lead at ActionAid Rwanda stressed the need of converting some of the debt into grants to alleviate the debt repayment burden and allow funds to be redirected into environmentally friendly initiatives.
“Africa bears the heaviest climate burden as 70% of climate finance to Africa is loans.
African nations pay $62 billion per year in debt service. Rwanda is also constrained by rising debt. High-emitting nations owe reparations. If such debts were to be cancelled, the funds saved could then be invested in other initiatives that improve people’s lives, such as healthcare, education, women’s empowerment, poverty reduction, climate resilience and more,” she said.
In response, Rwanda is charting a new path as it is developing a Sustainability-Linked Bond framework to raise financing aligned with climate and SDG targets.
“Through Ireme Invest, we are de-risking private sector participation in climate-smart sectors and we are actively exploring debt-for-nature and debt-for-climate swaps to redirect debt service towards green investments. But we cannot do this alone. These efforts require partnerships that are grounded in fairness, solidarity, and mutual accountability,” he said.
He said that as Rwanda looks ahead to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) and Africa’s emerging Reparations Agenda, Rwanda will continue to advocate for reforms that expand access to concessional and grant-based climate finance, recognise historical responsibility and climate debt owed to the Global South, and enable countries like ours to invest in resilience without compromising fiscal sustainability.
“We urge our partners, financial institutions, civil society, and the private sector to stand with us. Let us co-create solutions that make climate finance not only more available, but more equitable,” he said.
Uwase, Programs, Policy and Business Development Lead noted that converting some of the debt into grants for climate projects could reduce the burden of debt repayment and allow funds to be redirected into community environment friendly projects.
Uwase closed with a powerful truth from the Fund Our Future manifesto: ‘We are not asking for help; we are demanding justice.’
This is not just about financing, it’s about decolonizing the systems that created and perpetuate the climate crisis. It is about dignity, sovereignty, and giving communities the power and resources to shape their futures.
Rwanda can be the spark that ignites this transformation. Let this dialogue be the beginning of a new era, one where global finance serves people and planet, not profit. This is a moment for collective responsibility and bold action.
The elections took place during a consultative meeting held on June 29, 2025. This follows a previous round of elections in May 2025, which saw Protais Musoni re-elected as the chairperson of PAM Rwanda.
The newly elected commissioners will assume their three-year term beginning on July 1, 2025.
Athanasie Nyiragwaneza, the Secretary General of PAM Rwanda, outlined the priorities for the organization over the next three years.
These include strengthening the presence of PAM Rwanda representatives in villages and schools, as well as increasing the number of members.
Additionally, the organization plans to conduct research to address ongoing challenges related to African integration and foster stronger regional relationships.
Among the newly elected commissioners are prominent individuals such as Tito Rutaremara, Dr. Mulefu Alphonse, Amb. Vincent Karega, Amb. Joseph Mutaboba, Jean Bosco Rushingabigwi, and Amb. Williams Nkurunziza, among others.
Chantal Tuyishimire, one of the newly elected commissioners, shared her vision for the next three years.
She emphasized the importance of using information to understand challenges and find solutions, particularly in relation to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while also prioritizing youth engagement.
PAM Rwanda Chairperson Musoni Protais, addressed the challenges Africa faces in achieving self-reliance, recognizing both internal and external factors.
He stressed that the solution lies in changing the mindset of Africans to overcome these challenges.
PAM was founded in 1946, after World War II, and Rwanda became a member in 2015.
The movement’s goal is to inspire self-reliance and unity among Africans, aiming to make Africa a leading and influential force globally by 2063.
The initiative includes a wide range of activities designed to strengthen ties between the military and civilians across the region.
In Nyanza District, residents have welcomed the free medical services being provided at the district hospital, noting the convenience of receiving treatment close to home and at no cost.
Uwibogoye Rusi, a patient treated at Nyanza District Hospital, shared her experience, explaining that she previously had to travel to Kabgayi Hospital for treatment, incurring costs for transport and medication.
“Now, I am happy to get treatment from medical specialists here in Nyanza. They are treating us for free, and the medicines are provided at no cost,” she said.
Dr. Dufitumukiza Jerome, Director General of Nyanza District Hospital, emphasized the significance of the EAC Armed Forces’ support.
“Previously, we had to refer patients to advanced hospitals because we could not treat certain conditions. Now, with the help of these specialists, we can treat patients locally, free of charge, and the medicines are also provided for free,” he said.
“These services are typically costly, but now they are offered for free. The initiative is also helping us reduce long waiting lists for surgeries and specialist appointments. Many surgical procedures are not normally available at district-level hospitals like ours. The patients we expect to treat in just five days would otherwise have had to wait up to five months. With the support of experts from across the region, we can now close that gap,” he added.
Dr. Dufitumukiza expressed gratitude to the RDF leadership for deploying the needed medical specialists and acknowledged the broader contribution of the RDF to Rwanda’s liberation and continued commitment to rebuild the country.
Lt Col Dr. Justus K. Bwaley from Kenya Defence Forces noted that EAC CIMIC Week plays an essential role in fostering regional cooperation and professional exchange.
“Working alongside fellow doctors from EAC partner states allows us to build strong bonds, share medical expertise, and overcome clinical challenges together. Ultimately, our people benefit from this collaboration. We need more opportunities like this to further the EAC’s mission of regional integration,” Dr. Bwaley said.
In addition to medical services in Nyanza and Ngoma, EAC Armed Forces personnel are also engaged in a variety of community development projects. These include the installation of solar panels, floor tiles, and clean water facilities for underserved communities.
This regional effort is being implemented in conjunction with the Defence and Security Citizen Outreach Programme 2025, which is taking place nationwide in celebration of kwibohora31 and the 25th anniversary of the Rwanda National Police’s partnership with citizens.
The initiative is also designed to reinforce the bond between the EAC Armed Forces and the people, reflecting shared values of unity, integration, and mutual support among partner states.
